Olli Varis

Distinguished Professor

T213 Built Environment

I am professor of Water Resources Management with a focus on water, environment and development research and consultation. My research concentrates on sustainable development and water resources management in developing and emerging economies, particularly in Asia. In my particular interest are global water resources and their interrelations to sectors such as agriculture and energy, and in relation to drivers such as climate change, urbanization, poverty, environment and economic development.

I am active in several international organizations including UNESCO, WMO, IWRA (Vice President 2007-2009), IWA, IIASA and UNU/WIDER. I was a Vice Dean of Reseach and Innovation of Aalto School of Engineering in 2013-2018, Counsellor at the Supreme Administrational Court of Finland in 2006-2015, and am Distinguished Adjunct Professor at Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.

Full researcher profile

https://research.aalto.fi/...

[email protected]

Phone number

+358504066245

Areas of expertise

Water resources, Water engineering, Large river basins, Water resources management, Social and environmental impact assessment, Water and security studies, Vulnerability analyses

Honors and awards

Aalto Pioneering Excellence Award 2021

Aalto Pioneering Excellence Award 2021 for Majakka doctoral education project at Aalto School of Engineering

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Built Environment Jan 2021

Aalto Excellence Award 2018

Aalto Award for Excellence in enhancing business, design, engineering, and technology, and research-based innovation in the academic year 2016-17, awarded to Majakka Doctoral Education Pilot Prooject

Award or honor granted for a specific work Water and Environmental Engineering Jan 2018

Best Research Paper 2023 Award

Award or honor granted for a specific work Water and Environmental Engineering Sep 2023

The International Deed of the Year: Sustainable Global Technologies Programme

Aalto student union (AYY) award for the Sustainable Global Technologies Programme for the International Deed of the Year 2017 for truly global approach to teaching and sustainable development. With the prize AYY wants to point out the importance of quality internationalization in Aalto and encourage both students and staff to work together for a better, more global-minded and open Aalto.

Award or honor granted for a specific work Water and Environmental Engineering May 2018

Environmental Research Letters: Best paper award 2010

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Built Environment Jan 2010

Julkaisupalkinto Vesiyhdistys, Finland

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Built Environment Jan 1999

TKK:n Rakennus- ja yhdyskuntatekniikan osaston kilpailu tutkimuksen tekijoille, 1. palkinto TKK, Rakennus- ja yhdyskuntakniikan osasto, Finland

Invitation or ranking in competition Department of Built Environment Jan 1997

Julkaisupalkinto TKK, Rakennus- ja yhdyskuntatekniikan osasto, Finland

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Built Environment Jan 1998

TKK:n sisäinen tutkimuksen kärkiryhmä Teknillinen korkeakoulu, Finland

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Built Environment Jan 2003

Research groups

Water and Environmental Engineering, Aalto Distinguished Professor

Publications

Towards transformative learning : students’ disorienting dilemmas and coping strategies in interdisciplinary problem-based learning

Xiaoqi Feng, Julia Sundman, Hanna Aarnio, Maija Taka, Marko Keskinen, Olli Varis 2024 European Journal of Engineering Education

The dry sky : future scenarios for humanity’s modification of the atmospheric water cycle

Patrick W. Keys, Lan Wang-Erlandsson, Michele Lee Moore, Agnes Pranindita, Fabian Stenzel, Olli Varis, Rekha Warrier, R. Bin Wong, Paolo D’Odorico, Carl Folke 2024 Global Sustainability

DECODING THE SKILL PUZZLE: AN INVESTIGATION OF COMPETENCy PROFILES OF RECENT GRADUATES IN ENGINEERING

Julia Sundman, Maija Taka, Meeri Karvinen, Olli Varis 2024 Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Conference of SEFI, Lausanne, Switzerland

Effects of new-type urbanization on resource pressure : Evidence from a water-energy-food system perspective in China

Qing Xia, Guiliang Tian, Dandan Zhao, Qiuya Zhao, Olli Varis 2024 Sustainable Cities and Society

Water consumption and biodiversity : Responses to global emergency events

Dandan Zhao, Junguo Liu, Laixiang Sun, Klaus Hubacek, Stephan Pfister, Kuishuang Feng, Heran Zheng, Xu Peng, Daoping Wang, Hong Yang, Lei Shen, Fei Lun, Xu Zhao, Bin Chen, Marko Keskinen, Shaohui Zhang, Jialiang Cai, Olli Varis 2024 Science Bulletin

To Withdraw, Investigate, Negotiate Or Integrate? Students' Coping Strategies With Disorienting Dilemmas In Interdisciplinary Project Courses

Xiaoqi Feng, Julia Sundman, Hanna Aarnio, Maija Taka, Marko Keskinen, Olli Varis 2023 SEFI 2023 - 51st Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education

Increased probability of hot and dry weather extremes during the growing season threatens global crop yields

Matias Heino, Pekka Kinnunen, Weston Anderson, Deepak K. Ray, Michael J. Puma, Olli Varis, Stefan Siebert, Matti Kummu 2023 Scientific Reports

Evidence of waste management impacting severe diarrhea prevalence more than WASH : An exhaustive analysis with Brazilian municipal-level data

Anni Juvakoski, Henrik Rantanen, Michela Mulas, Francesco Corona, Riku Vahala, Olli Varis, Ilkka Mellin 2023 Water Research

World’s human migration patterns in 2000–2019 unveiled by high-resolution data

Venla Niva, Alexander Horton, Vili Virkki, Matias Heino, Maria Kosonen, Marko Kallio, Pekka Kinnunen, Guy J. Abel, Raya Muttarak, Maija Taka, Olli Varis, Matti Kummu 2023 Nature Human Behaviour

From Rookies To Synthesis: Agile Solutions For Sustainable Doctoral Studies

Maija Taka, Jaana Suviniitty, Olli Varis 2023 SEFI 2023 - 51st Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education